Personal finance takes discipline. Many people have the delusion they can control their spending and maximize the use of their income without tracking anything. If they take time to write down and add up all their expenses vs. their income, people usually realize they are overspending and not working efficiently...

Frugal people have lots of habits. They don't have to be extreme to be effective. People don't have to hang up used dental floss to dry. Sometimes, the cheap version of a product is the worst deal because it will only last half as long as the more expensive version. Thinking before spending can do amazing things...

Debt collectors want you to think that they can harass you whenever they want, and often in whatever way they want. Some of them will even outright lie to you, or try to scare you, in order to get you to pay off the debt or make a payment. There is good news for you – you no longer need to put up with ...

There are a few types of credit inquiries individuals will encounter in life. Not all of them affect credit scores, but none of them improves credit scores.
Like Google and its algorithm, the Fair Isaac Corp. does not divulge the details of how FICO scores are derived. The major reporting agencies only give o...

Anyone is subject to identity theft these days. And when it happens, your credit can be damaged. That’s because criminals steal your ID to commit fraud and forgery in your name. Basically, ID theft is when someone takes your personal information without your knowledge or consent and uses the data for ill-got...

It’s 2016 and the reality is, there are a lot of people looking for jobs. The unemployment rate is hovering right around 5%, and according to Careerbuilder as many as 75% of full-time employees are considering new employment opportunities.
If you’re one of the many scouting out a new opportunity, you migh...

Although credit cards sometimes cause more problems than they solve, when it comes to rebuilding your credit, they can be helpful. Depending on your credit, you may not be able to get an unsecured credit card. In that situation, you should consider a secured credit card. The benefit of these cards is that your c...

If you're one of the many Americans struggling with a less than ideal credit score following the credit crunch and real estate bust, you know that rebuilding credit can be a difficult process. Financial experts often recommend getting a secured credit card to rebuild. The trouble with that approach is that credi...

Since the financial fallout from the Great Recession, many banks have started lowering credit limits, even for customers with good credit and payment history. Lenders are tightening up outstanding risk and have scaled down credit limits to reduce the risk of default. Many banks use an automated algorithm that ...

One of the most asked questions for credit agency call centers is how long bad information stays on a credit report. Your credit score impacts everything from buying a car to getting a job. If you’ve made some missteps in the past, knowing how long bad information will stay on your credit report is important...